BRAD BLOG’s 2004 Man of the Year, Rep. John Conyers (Ranking Minority Member of the House Judiciary Committee) is not letting go.
Yesterday he, and Rep. Henry Waxman (Ranking Minority Member of the House Gov. Reform Committee) requested a new GAO Investigation of the long voting lines, and other related issues that kept Americans from voting as should be their right on November 2nd of last year. His letter to the GAO is here [PDF]. An AP story on same is here.
And today, Conyers sent a new letter to his best-friend and reported two-time (at least) lawbreaker Ohio Sec. of State, J. Kenneth Blackwell (who also served as Ohio’s Bush/Cheney Re-Elect Committee Co-Chairman while studiously assuring a “free, fair and transparent” election in the Buckeye State).
Conyers asked for Blackwell’s help in reforming our flawed election system.
Attached for your review and response, please find a comprehensive Report regarding Ohio election law irregularities prepared by the House Judiciary Committee Minority Staff. Given the importance of election reform, and the key role Ohio has played in recent elections, I believe it is imperative that you, as the leading election official in Ohio, provide Congress with your reactions to the attached report, including in particular the factual and legal conclusions and legislative recommendations set forth therein.
I recognize that in the past you have been unwilling to respond to any inquiries regarding the irregularities in the Ohio presidential election or your office’s role in them. However, I am now hopeful that since Congress has certified the results of the electoral college, that you will be more forthcoming in assisting Congress in developing a record and legislation that will allow the nation to avoid a repeat of the voting irregularities reported in your state.
In this regard, it is important to recognize that voting reforms are now supported by key members on both sides of the aisle.
Conyers goes on to spell out supportive statements from both Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Republican Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH).
In a related item, and perhaps the biggest “No Duh!” issue to be discussed this year, the Associated Press is reporting that Secretaries of State will be gathering to discuss whether their roles as state election overseers might be a conflict of interest with their partisan roles in campaigning for nominees on the same ballot they are overseeing:
The ideas have been tossed around since Florida’s disputed presidential election in 2000. The latest discussion was prompted by possible federal legislation seeking to ban campaigning by state elections officials, as well as calls for change by some editorial boards, said Meredith Imwalle, spokeswoman for the national secretaries of states group.
…
Blackwell drew new criticism last week with the revelation that he sent a letter to Republican donors thanking them for helping deliver Ohio for Bush.
…
Blackwell “pushed the envelope as hard as any secretary of state ever,” said James Ruvolo, the Ohio chairman of the Kerry campaign. [ed. note: That’s our link, not AP’s]
We realize this is a very radical and conspiracy-theorist idea to hope that those overseeing elections would not have a personal or professional stake in them.
But whadduweknow? We’re just dissidents, we guess.
UPDATE: Just minutes after posting the above item, RAW STORY reported that they were finally able to get a response from Blackwell’s office on all of the above. It was just one line: “I think Rep. Conyers’ inquiry and motivation speaks for itself.” More than one line on this at RAW STORY…
Blackwell may very well continue to arrogantly ignore any such offerings, regardless of how reasonable they are. Therefore, we must continue to press our own envelope just as hard.
I just regenerated a modified CITIZEN NATIONAL ELECTION REFORM PETITION as a new topic under ELECTION REFORM DISCUSSION at the VR site (Velvet Revolution/Voter Revolution)! Again, just as a proposed sample to get us talking about how to unify and coordinate our election reform efforts!
CIAO! Freebird
It should be borne in mind that this man is actually running for governor of Ohio…a man who won’t even respond professionally to a polite request from a member of Congress.
The mind boggles at what the Republican Party in that backward state is thinking to even consider this character for its next governor. Never mind his ethical conflicts; he’s certifiably stupid to imagine he could write a letter congratulating himself for winning the state for Bush while at the same time being challenged in court. Truly unbelievable.
Blackwell is giving Ohio counties the choice of purchasing one of two optical scanners only for their elections: Republican-owned Diebold machines or Republican-owned ES&S machines – pardon me while I puke. And Peter King, Rep. N.Y. says "we’ll take care of the counting". Better stop those machines, one way or another.
Brad, you mentioned briefly about how Secretaries of State will be gathering to discuss their roles as state election overseers.
It seems that if you fail to hold the party line and "deliver" the election to your party, you are no longer fit to hold the position. See attached link about how Sam Reed (R) is no longer fit for the office, since his "mismanagement" allowed a Democrat to "steal" the governor’s race.
In other news, you have no idea how obnoxious these Republican "Revote Washington" commericals are… the blaring siren sounds surprisingly like an air raid alarm.
Robert Lockwood Mills – thank you for saying that – my sentiments exactly!
Blackwell’s letter was meant as an announcement to Bush. "See, see, see what I did for you, I’ve stuck my whole head up your butt!" (Sorry – but not really:), at any rate, he must appear equally as arrogant – and stupid.
I wouldn’t think the SOS’s should meet to discuss. It’s a damn clear conflict of interest that I’m personally fed up with recognizing. Which SOS discussing the issue isn’t going to have a conflict of interest agenda – that’s the problem!!!!
The Secretary of State holding both positions is certainly a conflict of interest and one that must be abolished if there is to be any confidence in elections. Look what Katherine Harris did in 2002 to Florida, (deliberatly opening her office on Sunday just to cut short the vote counting time) among other nasty "little" tricks. How can it not be a conflict of interest that puts too much power and oportunity in their greedy, ambitious hands. She was rewarded handsomly for her efforts. This is a very important issue to deal with before the next election.
The sample election reform petition I drafted at VR addresses the issue of election officials particiapting in campaigns by calling for its prohibition by law. A senator is also proposing legislation to that effect.
The fact that Blackwell is also giving Ohio counties a choice between two Republican voting machine companies means business as usual. I’m sure there’s no incentive to correct problems in Ohio when he’s looking to exploit them for his own personal election. Just as there is zero incentive for a Republican controlled Congress to support or advocate election reform that will cost them elections.
Sooooooooo! Looks like a battle is brewing somewhere down the line. It just can’t go on like this and I hope they understand that?
I found this paragraph extremely chilling:
… because it reminds me of this paragraph, which was written by Nicholas DeB. Katzenbach, Deputy Attorney General of the United States, three days after the assassination of President Kennedy …
Need I spell out the parallel? They are both saying:
How could Katzenbach know that Oswald was the assassin, that he had no confederates who were still at large, and so on, just three days after the event? And how could Rebecca Vigil-Giron know "that we are not participating in any type of manipulation at that level"?
He couldn’t. She couldn’t either. And neither of them even came close to suggesting that we need to find out what happened. This is all PR — the public must be convinced!
As if the public is the real problem, rather than the crimes.
http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=549
" … What Blackwell meant, Lee asserted, was that the current electronic voting machines were not certified under new laws passed by the state assembly which require voter-verified paper trails.
‘Under the new law for voting machines that will be used in 2006 those electronic voting machines will have to be equipped with voter verified paper trails,’ he said. …"
___________________________
So … are we to hope that Ohio 2006 will be an accountable election?
Poor Blackwell (*not*) … set up by the current powers that be just to assure W’s election then cast away to sink or swim on his own.
So goes when you sell your soul for those fifteen minutes of fame.
Regardless of what is planned for 2006 and beyond I hope Conyers nails them.
R
The term "PR" has taken on new meaning. Does it more meaningfully refer to "Image Management" or "Public Ruse" ?
Meanwhile, the statement "…we are not participating in any type of manipulation at that level," leads me to ask, Then exactly what level IS the manipulation occuring?
No kidding, Miss P. (#10)
I probably shouldn’t have said "PR". That’s an old and rusty concept. PM is the big idea now. It stands for "Perception Management". It’s a powerful tool, especially if you don’t understand what it is, and if you don’t realize that it’s being used against you. Please read this excellent article by Robert Parry for more details.
As for the statement you quoted, if I were sufficiently cynical I would say it means the same as: "We are participating in all types of manipulation at every other level."